[AN: Hi, guys! This is my third fanfiction, and my first based off an original concept! This isn't a usual DBZ fanfic. It's a bit hard to categorise. I'd say it's partially slice-of-life, partially action and partially mystery.
If you want, go visit my previous fanfic, Only Human (Videl POV). There are some very minor differences in canon that were brought up in that story. One example being that Babidi didn't broadcast the battle between SSJ3 Goku and Fat Buu. So none of the people on Earth experienced Goku's explanation of what a Super Saiyan was. They're still relatively ignorant. (It may be very minor, but it's a detail I realise would have changed this story immensely.)
Also, if you want, my other short fanfic, Gohan and Videl watch the Cell Games, contains a few ideas that will be explored in greater detail in this story.
Now that the shameless plugs are out of the way, let's begin!]
2 months after the defeat of Majin Buu.
In the middle of Mt. Paozu, far away from major human civilisation, there was a small cottage. And, on the top floor, a teenage boy sat, studiously doing his homework.
He was tall, with a strong build that would make people think he played a lot of sport, although lacking the usual tan that befitted someone who spent a lot of time in the sun. His short black hair was carefully trimmed in a spiky cut that looked like it would have required liberal application of hair gel. But, at a closer glimpse, it was obvious that was his natural hair. He seemed to be a boy of contradictions – his build and the several martial arts posters that adorned his room suggested he was a fighter. And yet, his room was also filled with books of all varieties, and he was completing his homework with eagerness, seemingly unlike many boys who found their education a bore.
His name was Son Gohan, and he was the most powerful being in the universe.
Gohan didn't want to admit it, but he was finding his algebra homework surprisingly tough. This was probably the first time he'd had real difficulty with it. It was as if the teachers suddenly realised how far behind in the syllabus they had gotten because of Majin Buu, and now they were trying to hurry up without giving the students time to learn it properly.
Majin Buu. That pink monster had changed everything. And he had thought it was for the better. But now…he wasn't so sure.
There was one thing he had learnt. Saving the world was difficult. But, it was often the aftermath that could be even harder.
Gohan had first experienced it after the Cell Games. He had defeated Cell, but at a great cost – his father's life. As a child, Gohan would have rather fought a hundred Cells than have to deal with the pain of loss. You couldn't fight grief. No matter how strong you were, it would remain with you, following you like a shadow wherever you went. It took him a…very long time to recover from it. And even after that, he knew he wasn't the same boy who had fought Cell. It had changed him immensely.
So, over 7 years later, Gohan was surprised that he had that familiar feeling of emptiness, like he felt after Cell. But this time, his father was alive. Heck, his father was brought back to life to fight Buu. There was no reason for him to mourn. In fact, he should have been delighted!
But that was part of the problem. The problem was that he had failed.
He failed to destroy Majin Buu, and he failed to truly take over from his father. He may have been more powerful than Son Goku, but that didn't mean anything in the end. Majin Buu absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo, Gohan started struggling, and his father had to return, from the dead, to…bail him out. Gohan had been so close…and yet, in the end, he didn't save anyone. Majin Buu was defeated, not by him, but by his father and Vegeta. Sure, he may have contributed to the Spirit Bomb, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that, in the end, he wasn't needed at all. That he was incompetent.
And, now that his father was alive again, it meant he was no longer his successor. He was no longer the premier defender of the Earth. It seemed like the only true successor to Son Goku was…Son Goku himself. No one else seemed to be able to do what his father could do. Gohan felt like he should have been glad. Now that Goku had returned, he was free to do whatever he wanted with his life. He could concentrate on school and become a scholar, like he always dreamed. But even school wasn't the distraction he had hoped.
Because everyone at school knew who he was.
Everyone knew he was the Great Saiyaman, and most people had worked out he was the Gold Fighter, although he never used that title anymore. Luckily, no one knew the extent of his power. They all assumed he was like Videl. But, even then, he hated it. He hated the attention. He hated how they treated him differently. That was the whole reason why he had disguised himself in the first place! Gohan was still kicking himself for transforming into a Super Saiyan in front of everyone at the Budokai. Sure, in the end, it was necessary. Someone had to be drained so they could find out where Majin Buu's cocoon was. He was the bait, even if he didn't know it at the time. But the repercussions of that…he hadn't thought about it. He had just snapped for one second and forgot about all the consequences.
He was so lucky he had Videl. She knew the truth about him, and she knew how important it was to him to keep things a secret. Gohan wished he had as much self-confidence as Videl did. She could just walk through the halls, not caring about anyone or anything. When he first met her, he thought it was reckless and stupid. Now, he'd learnt to appreciate it.
At 16, Gohan wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. Was he a fighter, or a scholar? Was he ever meant to succeed his father? And what about school? He just felt so…lost. There were no clear answers to what he should do. And it seemed like no matter what he tried to do, he would never be good enough. Not without help.
And he didn't know what to do. After the Cell Games, everyone had protectively gathered around him, trying to help him deal with his loss. But now…he was 16. Almost an adult. The expectations were that he didn't have any problems to deal with. After all, now his potential had been released, he was the strongest being alive. What could he possibly need help for?
He couldn't talk to anyone. He shouldn't. He was a man now, and he had to deal with this stuff himself. Someone like his father didn't have issues like this. And everyone still expected him to be like his father. He didn't want to disappoint them. Not again.
Gohan sighed, and finished his homework. He had been too preoccupied. He wasn't getting enough work done. Not to mention, he'd been subconsciously paying attention to his father and Goten's kis. They'd been fighting, and Gohan couldn't stop himself from keeping an eye on Goten. Even if they now had a father…it didn't stop a habit he'd been doing for 7 years.
What he really needed to do was to try and get that overwhelming feeling of failure out of his thoughts. But what could he do? Prove himself? He wanted to. He wanted to feel like he was in control again. But how?
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away…
The group nervously entered the enormous complex.
There were over a dozen of them: some old, some young, some rich and some poor. But they were all blown away by the sheer size of the building that they had just entered. Halls spiralled in all directions, and the main entrance was adorned with everything from fountains to intricately designed topiary bushes. Everyone gathered together, terrified to take the wrong turn. If they went the wrong direction…who knew where they would end up?
And among the group of adults stood a single boy, his short brown hair cut short, his dark eyes shining in excitement. He stood out from all of them, both in height and in maturity. But he was just as eager and capable of the adults that towered over him, if not more.
Luckily, a woman was waiting for them at the entrance hall; a woman they all recognised. Her short blue hair had been done in a bob that made her look youthful, despite the fact she was now in her 30's.
She waved to all of them, and gestured them to stop in front of her. Everyone gathered around, all wanting to get a good glimpse of her.
"Hello, everyone," she said, her eyes bright with excitement. "And welcome to Capsule Corp. My name is Bulma, co-CEO and Head of Research and Development, but I'm sure you knew that already."
"You are all here for one reason: you have a passion for science and technology. You want to use your abilities to benefit us all. And if you were selected, you must be of a reasonable intellect."
"Of course, just being selected for this tour doesn't guarantee anything. If you're searching for a job, it will be difficult. Even those of you who strive to work in maintenance." She gave a meaningful glance to a smaller group off to the side, dressed a lot more casually.
"But if working for Capsule Corp is truly something you seek, it'll be good to see what you're getting yourself into. Over the next few hours, I, and my fellow associates, will give you a rare glimpse into the daily lives of our employees, and the inner working of our organisation."
She started walking. Everyone followed her eagerly. It looked like the tour was about to start.
Then she suddenly stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, turning around to face the newcomers once again. For some reason, she was starting to smile. "Before we begin...I'd like to go over some…disclaimers with you."
Disclaimers? There was suddenly a lot of murmuring in the room.
Bulma continued, seemingly unaffected by the reaction her words had triggered.
"I do this tour every year, and each time I hear some new…rumour about this organisation. You shouldn't believe any of them. They're a load of rubbish. But, so you won't be disappointed, let me set the record straight."
She started talking in an overly formal voice. "Capsule Corp is not planning to overthrow the government. Capsule Corp is not affiliated with any other businesses for illegal ends. Capsule Corp is not developing and/or harbouring any weapons of mass destruction. Well…unless you count my husband."
Everyone started to laugh. Even Bulma couldn't stop a smile from coming to her face. It was clear she had rehearsed that punchline.
The boy didn't fully understand the joke. But his friends always told him he 'had trouble understanding people'. Maybe this was what they were talking about. From what he could tell, the joke was about how...husbands were destructive? It sort of made sense. Perhaps it was just an adult joke.
"So, now that we've got that out of the way…let's begin."
And, as they walked, Bulma suddenly turned to him. He had picked a spot right next to her, eager to be the first one to see the facilities.
"Do you think I should make a scroll?" she asked.
The boy panicked, surprised Bulma was addressing him. "A scroll?" he asked, unsure of what she meant.
"Like, one of those old fashioned scrolls. I'd start reading from it, and the paper would drop down onto the floor, because there were so many different rumours to address. Do you think that would be funny?"
He considered it. Perhaps it would work well as a joke. "I guess. But why do you need it to be funny?"
Bulma smiled. "Look at you all," she exclaimed, gesturing to the nervous faces around her. "You're all so tense! A joke is the best way to make you more relaxed. No matter what you hear, at the end of the day, Capsule Corp is a family organisation. I want everyone to see that."
Bulma's words excited him. This was going to be a new beginning for him.
He was going to change the world!
[AN: I'm just going to talk a bit about my interpretation of Gohan, because I feel like SOMEONE is going to be annoyed. In this story, Gohan is sticking to his canon personality. I feel like some people use Gohan as a self-insert, or as some sort of 'fantasy boyfriend'. In my opinion, Gohan is neither of those. He's not normal, and he's not perfect. If you want him to be the sort of character who is in total control all the time...you might not enjoy this. But, even if you don't like this version of him, I hope I make you think about his character a bit more. Who really IS Gohan?
Oh, and Gohan's 16. The manga clearly states he's 16. Even if it doesn't make sense with the timeline.]
